Stress evolution in surrounding silicon of Cu-filled through-silicon via undergoing thermal annealing by multiwavelength micro-Raman spectroscopy

Three-dimensional stress development was observed in silicon surrounding the Cu-filled through-silicon via (TSV) structures undergoing the thermal annealing process. We show here, using a multiwavelength micro-Raman spectroscopy system, that the behavior of stress development in silicon after annealing step is dependent on the initial stress state as well as the geometry and directionality of the TSV array. The warping of stress curve for postannealed state with a reference of preannealed state is distinctively observed. Furthermore, the introduction of stress-free point is also attributed to the destructive stress interaction from different geometry and direction and initial stress state. (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3596443]